Wildcliff Nature Reserve: Restoration Ecology

The pond's placement in an open area makes it visible to high-flying waterfowl, such as herons and Egyptian geese
The island allows birds to alight without fear of land-based predators. The photo shows some grass and the indigenous willow, Salix mucronata.
The pond fills naturally, and has a spillover. The clay retains water well. However floating clay particulates make the water opaque -- ideally we would remedy this by floating hay on the surface. We are told that this will eventually sink, taking the mud particulates down to the bottom

We've piled rocks and logs at several places on the perimeter, providing water hiding places for frogs and other aquatic wildlife, and objects of play for the baboons. We understand that piling hay bales along the edges of the pond helps provide aquatic habitat.
The upper slope has suffered erosion in the first year. We have planted some grass to hold the bank, but we would like help with planting more retaining vegetation
We've tried planting indigenous trees on the wall around the pond, but stray cows and playful baboons have prevented them from surviving. We'd like help with getting the plantings established, to stabilise the dam walls. Trees we would like to use include Syzygium cordatum and Phoenix reclinata, both suited to that purpose, thriving in permanently boggy soils.
These trees, when planted on the top of the dam wall, will prevent erosion, create a shaded and sheltered environment for certain types of plants and provide a good backdrop for the dam, protecting it from the strong winds. They will also interlink when mature providing a ‘corridor’ for shy animals and birds to move between. These particular trees also bear fruit to which a myriad of animals will be attracted ie. birds, baboons, bushpigs. One should always leave one side of the dam/pond with an open approach for birds. This can be planted with low growing plants like small bulbs and groundcovers.
The aquatic reeds and plants such as Aponogeton distachyos and Nymphaea caerulea should eventually cover at least half of the dam’s surface area to reduce sunlight levels and thereby limit the amount of algal growth. Many of the bulbous species should self seed or multiply themselves. We've has limited success with waterplants so far; help is needed.
Another goal is to populate the pond with indigenous fish, such as two species that have already been found elsewhere on Wildcliff: Cape Galaxias (Galaxias zebrata), Banded Tilapia (Tilapia sparrmanii) and Cape Kurper (Sandelia capensis). These species are voracious feeders, effective in keeping down the levels of mosquito larvae (but we have not encountered any mostquito problem so far).
A stone path, leading from the house down to the pond's edge, helps one avoid snakes and mud.

Links & References